Spring-frog and guard-rail.



J. W. THOMAS.

SPRING FROG AND GUARD RAIL. APPLIGAT'ION FILEDDEGAL 1911.

Patented De@.24,1912. Y

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COLUMBIA PLANouR/PM co.,\VASH1Nm-DN, D. c.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT i oEEioE. y

JOHN W. THOMAS, OE GUTHRI'E, o'KLAHOr/LA;Y Ass'IGNOR OF ONE-THIRD ToJOHN R.

HAMILL, ONE-SIXTH To `FRED yw. GREEN, AND HORNOR, ALL OEGUTHEIH-OKLAHOMA.

SPRING-FROG AND' GARD-RAIL.

Specification of Letters atent.

Patented Dee.24,1912.

Application tiled December 1:1, 1911. Serial No. 665,036.

To all w/iofm, it may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN WV. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States,Vresiding at Guthrie, in the county of Logan and State of Oklahoma, haveinvented certain ynew and useful Improvements in Spring-Frogs andGuard-Rails, of which the following is a speciication.

, My invention relates to a combined spring-frog and guard-rail, and my`objects are to provide novel means for retaining the guard-rail acertain distance from the point of the frog, means to limit lateralmovement of the spring-rail of the frog, and resilient means to normallyhold said springrail in closed position.

(.)ther objects of the invention will hereinafter'appear, and in orderthat said invention may be fully understood, reference will now be madeto the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view ofthe preferred forni of my invention.y Fig.2`is across section on line II-#II of Fig. 41. Fig. 3 is a cross sectionon line III-III' of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a section on line IV-IV of Fig. 3.Fig. 5 is a detail plan view of the kfrog-point and part of a wing-railemployed in carrying out the invention. Fig. 6 is a plan View of amodified form of the invention.

1 and 2 designate main-line rails, and 3 and 4 designate branch-linerails of thefrog.

5 designates the frog-point which is preferably formed integral with asection 6 of the wing-rail, said section 6 having a reinforcement 7,provided with a shoulderA A8, against one end of which a guard-rail` 9abuts. The wing-rail consists of section 6 and a section 6, for apurpose which will hereinafter appear.

Guard-rail 9, preferably, has a number of joints 10, so that it may beeasily formed and put together, and comprises an intermediate section11, paralleling rail 1, and curved end sections 12 and 13. Section 12abuts against one endof the wing-rail section 6a, and sect-ion 13 abutsagainst the shoulder S on the wing-rail section 6, see Fig. 1. Section11 of the guard-rail 9 is secured to the main-line rail 1 with bolts 14,which extend through fillers 15 between said rails. Section 6au of thewing-rail is suitablysecured at one end to section 6 and near itsopposite end to the main-line rail 2, by bolts 16 extending therethroughand also through the branch-line rail 3;

yl'designates a filler between the main kONE- FOURTH TO CHARLES n G. y

line rail 2 and section 6a, and 18 designates i a filler integral withthe frog-point 5 and inlterposed between the main-line rail 2 and thebranch-line rail 3.

19v designates a plurality of bolts to secure 4.one end of section 13 tothe adjacent- `end of the wing-rail section 6. v

v20 designates a spring-rail, one end of which abuts against one of kthemain-line 4,22 at kits ends with the rail 20, andsecured at its centralportion to the wing-rail by one of the bolts 19. The frog-point 5 isprevented from springing upward above the surface of the adjacent railsby a retaining-plate 23 and a supporting-member 24. Retain'- ing-plate23 is secured to the spring-rail base by bolts 25, and extends beneathsaid spring-rail, the frog-point 5, and the wingrail. Thesupporting-member 24 is suitablysecured to the underside of thefrog-point 5. The anges on the wheels of a car passing in eitherdirection over the branch-line will force the spring-rail 2O away fromvthe frogpoint5 to permit said flanges to pass, and this lateralmovement of the spring-rail 20 is limited by a member 26 extendingbeneath vsection`13 of the guard-rail 9, t-he wing-rail,

26 to allow for the lateral movementr of,

spring-rail 2O necessary to letthe flanges pass. When the flanges of thecar-wheels pass out of engagement with the spring-rail 20, the same isrestored to normal position through its own resilience and that ofspring 21. Member 26 is held-in proper relation to thebase of section 13by means of a supporting-member 29, suitably-securedto the underside ofsaid base.

30 designates a guard-rail adjacent the branch-line rail 4, to which itis secured by bolts 31, extending therethrough; fillers 32 beinginterposed between said rails to coact with the bolts 31 in holding saidrails in proper relation to each other. The branchline rail l and theguard-rail 30 are held in proper relation to the branch-line rail 3 andthe frog-point 5, by a pair of spacing-members 33, one of which issecured at its ends to the branch-line rails 3 and 4 by spikes 34, Whilethe other is secured at its ends to the branch-line rail 4 and section12 of the guard-rail 9 by spikes 35. The upper surface of thespacing-members 33 have serrations S6 adjacent the guard-rail 30 toreceive the serrated lower ends of a pair of braces 37, which abutagainst said guardrail 30 and prevents the same from moving toward thebranch-line rail 3 and the frogpoint 5. Rail braces 37 have longitudinalslots 38 through Which bolts 39 extend, to secure said rail braces tothe spacing-members 33, the slots permitting adjustment of the bracesinto engagement with the guardrail 30. The interlocking serrations onthe spacing-members 3G and the braces 37 prevent movement of the latteron the former after the bolts 39 have been tightened.

By reinforcing the Wing-rail section 6 at a point opposite thefrog-point 5, the upper surface of said frog-point is relieved, to alarge extent of Wear by the broad surface offered by said Wing-railsection and its reinforcement 7. By forming the frogpoint and theWing-rail section 6 integral with each other, and separate from theadjacent rails, said frog-point and Wing-rail section may be made ofmanganese steel or other metal that is harder than that usually employedfor the other rails, and consequently the life of said frog-point 5 andthe Wing-rail section 6 may be greatly prolonged. 'lhis is also true ofthe guard-rail section 1l.

In the modified form disclosed by Fig. 6, the spring-rail 20 isdispensed With and a guard-rail substituted therefor'. Referring indetail to said modified form la and 2f* designate main-line rails, and3a and La designate branch-line rails. 5a designates a frog-pointarranged at the intersection of rails 2a and 3a. Frog-point 5au is,preferably, formed integral With sections 6b of the guard-rails 9a,which sections are reinforced at 7a to protect the frog-point 5Z1 fromundue Wear. The frog-point 5a and the sections 6" are formed,preferably, of manganese steel to prolong the life thereof. Guardrails9a have a plurality of joints l0a to facilitate their manufacture andplacing in position for use, and their sections 11a are preferably, madeof manganese steel.

Having thus described my invention, What l claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is:

l. n a device of the character described, in combination, a frog-point,and a Wingrail consisting of a plurality of sections, one of saidsections paralleling one side of and formed integral With thefrog-point, and having a reinforcement opposite the reduced end of saidfrog-point for the purpose described.

2. In a device of the character described, in combination, a frog-point,a spring-rail at one side of said frog-point, a Wing-rail cast integralWith the opposite side of the frog-point and having a reinforcement Witha shoulder, main-line rails communicating With the frog-point and thespring-rail, and a guard-rail having a portion paralleling one of themain-line rails'and curved terminals, one of Which abuts against one endof the Wing-rail and the other against the shoulder at the opposite endof said Wingrail.

In testimony whereof I aiiiX my signature, in the presence of tivoWitnesses.

JOHN XV. THOMAS. fitnessesz F. G. FISCHER, E. C. LILLTAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

